JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Neighbors on Jacksonville’s Eastside say they’re fed up with vacant homes after police say a man was found beaten inside one Sunday morning.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said in a press conference Sunday, officers responded to a vacant home on Spearing Street just after 7:30 a.m. They found a man in his 30s or 40s beaten and unresponsive. He was taken to UF Health, where he later died.

Neighbors say the crime hits especially hard because of where it happened. James Crocker, who lives in the community, said the number of boarded-up properties in the area makes neighbors feel uneasy.

“We got houses boarded up, and nice houses, somebody could fix that house and let a family stay in it,” Crocker said. “They are just sitting there. If they’re not going to put any pe

See Full Page